1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gravity traction device which includes an inclined platform or table that has an upper inclined surface for supporting a person's upper body or torso and head and neck support structure attached to the platform adjacent an upper end thereof. The head and neck support structure includes a generally U-shaped head receiving portion fixed to the platform and having contoured surfaces for receiving a patient's head and neck and a ridge on the head receiving portion for engaging against the occipital bone of a patient's head received in the head receiving portion.
2. Description of the related art including information disclosed under 37 CFR .sctn..sctn.1.97-1.99
Heretofore it has been proposed in the Cumberland U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,603 to provide a cervical traction/stretch and neck curve support device comprising a head/neck/shoulder support unit having a vertical slot in the region corresponding to the cervical area. The slot separates the unit into a first section and a second section. The upper surfaces of each of the sections is shaped to receive the head, neck and shoulders of a reclining person. An inflatable air sack is located within the unit between the first and second sections and a hand operated bulb type air pump is provided for pumping up the air sack.
Also in applicant's earlier application, Ser. No. 08/120,602, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,479, issued Aug. 15, 1995, there is disclosed a cervical traction/stretch and neck curve support device comprising a body including a shoulder portion, a head portion and a bellows which extends substantially across the width and height of the body between and connected to the head portion and to the shoulder portion and acting against and between substantially the full inner end surface of the head portion and the full inner end surface of the shoulder portion. The bellows, the shoulder portion and the head portion have aligned U-shaped openings therein adapted to receive a patient's neck. A hand operated air pump is provided for pumping air into the bellows and for releasing air from the bellows.
The gravity traction device of the present invention is designed to use gravity acting on a patient's body and tending to pull the patient's body downwardly along the upper inclined surface of an inclined platform or table to create traction on the patient's neck received in the head receiving portion.
Other analogous and non-analogous traction devices are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. Patentee ______________________________________ 2,638,091 Varco 3,343,532 Zumaglini 3,570,479 Horn 4,103,681 Shanley 4,204,529 Cochrane 4,473,912 Scheidel et al. 4,508,109 Saunders 4,627,422 Bates 4,700,696 Schoffstall 4,732,144 Cunanan 4,736,736 Moers et al. 4,771,493 Park 4,805,603 Cumberland 4,832,007 Davis, Jr. et al. 5,020,520 Lawlis 5,067,483 Freed 5,052,378 Chitwood 5,074,287 Avitt 5,100,131 Fong 5,192,306 Scott et al 5,382,226 Graham 5,409,452 Aversano Des.344,135 Price ______________________________________